Scanning is a feature in wireless network management that a station (STA) may use to retrieve information about basic service set (BSS) deployments in specific frequency bands and channels. This information may be used to make a decision to associate with a specific BSS, transfer to another BSS, create a BSS in specific frequency channel, switching channels, etc. However, in directive multi-gigabit (DMG) networks operating in 60 GHz, link quality determined based on beacons and probe may not reflect link quality related to data transfer because the transmitting and receiving antenna configurations for the communicating stations at beacon and probe reception may be different (quasi-omni vs. directional) from the antenna configurations at time of data transfer. Therefore, a best sector identified during beaconing may be inadequate for data transfer and an association is made.